FEATURE BARCODING, LABELLING & PACKAGING
The evolution of packaging automation
Packaging automation has been core to the evolving packaging sector, driving improvements in processing power, safety performance, batch control, security, operational integration, waste management and more. Here, Michael Carless, sales and engineering manager at Antalis Packaging, discusses the range of benefits of automating the packaging process
W
ith increasing demand for advanced packaging technologies that are
faster, cheaper and more accurate than human labour, automation has become indispensable to the industry. But there are also a number of other drivers pushing automation in packaging, including the need to cohere with novel packaging designs, increasing product variants and batch manufacturing. We are also seeing the evolution of a
much shorter product life cycle, driven largely by the food sector (responsible for 51 per cent of all retail sales in the UK), through its desire for both product freshness and a reduction in food waste. Packaging machinery and systems exist
in many different forms, from semi- automated options to fully automated equipment for packaging lines. Many companies have parts of their business already automated – however the technology they have in place is out- dated or no longer meeting their requirements. Alternatively, they may have other parts of their business or new product lines now requiring automation. One example from Antalis is the packaging and logistics department at a leading crisps manufacturer, which had been struggling with its existing semi- automated stretch wrapping system. It was experiencing frequent downtime through film breakages, as well as the system failing to cope with the fragility of the boxes when obtaining the right film tension to contain the load securely. Antalis reviewed the company’s packaging operation and was able to recommend a new and more efficient stretch wrapping solution that would not only save money, but also increase the integrity of its palletised crisp boxes. The company consequently invested in two new Lantech semi-automatic Q300 stretch wrapping solutions, fitted with special mast extensions to cope with the 2.2m high crisp pallets, as well as switching to FiberFilm stretch-wrap film.
18 JULY/AUGUST 2017 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT
Also, where companies are investing hundreds of thousands of pounds in their production line, they can sometimes overlook significant inefficiencies right at the end of the line. For example, they might have a shiny, slick production process but then employees are running around the loaded pallet with stretch wrap before distribution.
DELIVERING SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS Introducing automation at the point where items are being batched and palletised can deliver substantial savings. This is a stage that is often taken for granted, but when you consider the cost of incorrectly palletised loads being rejected by automated warehousing systems or damaged in transit, it becomes clear that investment in this area can deliver significant long-term savings. In addition, automated systems can
make it possible to maximise the stretch potential of the film, increasing the yield of speciality films by as much as 300 per cent per roll and thus reducing the amount of film used, as well as overall consumable costs. A pet supplies company that Antalis assisted was putting 700g of wrapping film around every pallet, losing a significant amount of money, but the company was concerned that it would not get a return on the investment
Automation can result in business growth and, therefore, the retaining and transfer of staff to other parts of an operation in order to support that growth
needed to improve the process. By installing a new Lantech fully-automated wrapping machine, it reduced its wrap cost per pallet by 70p, which through 500 pallets a day took out £120k of stretch wrap cost a year, paying for the machine in less than 12 months. Without any sort of packaging automation, hand wrapping or using some other packaging medium is required such as shrink hood or strapping. The process takes much longer, there is inconsistency in terms of packaging applied and the results of the packages will ultimately vary by operator. There is also a range of other people- related risks to these sorts of processes. Semi-automated systems are very popular solutions, delivering a consistent finish and containment to the pallets, a higher speed of process, and freeing up labour constraints and health and safety issues. However, we are seeing more and more customers upgrade to fully automated systems, to deliver a very high throughput and consistent results, which simply cannot be matched by labour, and in turn will save money in the long run.
BETTER UTILISING EXISTING STAFF Automation is not about human redundancies and can actually have quite the opposite effect, resulting in business growth and, therefore, the retaining and transfer of staff to other parts of an operation in order to support that growth. Machinery is available to support each step of an organisation’s packaging operation, including case erecting and sealing, cushioning and void fill, strapping, pallet wrapping, corrugated wrapping solutions and more, with completely bespoke options also possible. Whether a company is looking to bring
in automated machinery and systems for the first time, or it wants to build on the machinery and systems it has in place, there is no doubt that this route offers many benefits for businesses.
Antalis Packaging
www.antalis.co.uk T: 0370 241 1466
/ FACTORYEQUIPMENT
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